Market to Pantry #9: A Dong Supermarket, Hartford, Connecticut
From Susan, in Keene, New Hampshire:
When we can get to Hartford, we enjoy shopping at the ethnic markets. Two favorites are Cosmos (Market to Pantry #6), for Indian food, and A. Dong Supermarket, for Asian.
A. Dong is a huge supermarket with lots of everything you could want for all kinds of Asian cooking. The produce is very fresh (I love the baby bok choy). There is a huge tea selection, including medicinals (want astragalus sticks?).
In addition to food, there is a two-aisle selection of dishes and cookware.
We didn't need anything, and left with three bags full.
On Saturdays, for almost three years, we've been peeking into Other People's Pantries all around the world.
*There are five more pantries to share. If you'd like this feature to continue -- if you've been meaning to send your photos but haven't gotten around to it -- please send in your pantry photos. Here's how.
And, please put your camera to work on Market to Pantry, alternating on Saturdays with Other People's Pantries. There are three more markets to share.
Come on -- show us your favorite supermarket, farmer's market, ethnic market, big box store or roadside stand. We'd love to see where you shop for food! Here's how.
Posted by: milton | December 18, 2010 at 05:30 AM
You are lucky to have access to such a nice store. Ive always wondered if its my imagination but your comment about the produce just strengthens my idea that compared to 'regular' supermarkets, the produce in the Asian equivalent is always fresher.
Posted by: Marten | December 18, 2010 at 09:05 AM
We're Connecticut transplants from Seattle.. in Seattle we were spoiled with a wide variety of great Asian markets ranging from the How How in Chinatown (where even the strongest stomachs will turn from walking past the meat counter and boxes of rotting fruit) to the Ranch 99 which has respectably great prices and a wider selection than A Dong here in Conn.
A Dong is alright. Their selection is not as great as Seattle's stores and their prices are high, but given they have very little competition in Connecticut, it's the place to go in-between trips to NYC or Boston.
It's not always true that produce is fresher, however the Asian stores do carry produce the mainstream supermarkets rarely touch - when a supermarket does have something like lemongrass, it's probably older because fewer people are buying it there. As with a good sushi restaurant, high turnover means fresher product.
Posted by: homegrown countrygirl | December 18, 2010 at 09:50 AM
Cosmos? A. Dong? What fun names both markets have! What a riot to be able to say things like, "I went to A. Dong today." or "Guess what I found at the Cosmos?!"
Posted by: Deena | December 18, 2010 at 05:09 PM
What a fun shop!
Posted by: carol,boston | December 20, 2010 at 12:56 PM
I love it! the last line says it all....
we needed nothing and left with 3 bags!
Posted by: Patricia Pond | October 20, 2012 at 11:17 AM
I remember Cosmos International from when I lived in Hartford back in the early 80's, and I think it's been around longer than that! Nice to see it's still there. A. Dong I don't remember but it's good to see it's gotten easier to get a wide variety of Asian food products in central CT!